Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

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Everyone loved these. I thought they were just okay, but everyone I work with went nuts for them and kept coming back to ask if there were any left long after the last one had disappeared. So I’d consider that a hit. And they’re awfully good for you.

They started with zucchini. I grated a medium-sized one and then squeezed out all the moisture with some paper towels. Ew.

I got exactly a cup, which is just what I needed.

Once the shredding was complete, it was time for some mashing. The recipe called for two small to medium bananas, but I had three small ones, so that’s what I used.

Fruit and vegetables prepped, it was time for the dry ingredients. The recipe called for 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour. For the cup, I used 2/3 flour and 1/3 wheat germ, and for the 1/2, I just poured a little extra into the bottom of the measuring cup before topping it up with flour.

That went in with the rest of the dry ingredients: baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.

I whisked.

And now for another interesting ingredient: coconut oil. This oil is all the rage…people are baking with it, cooking with it, spreading it on their skin, using it in their hair (I think?) and generally raving about it. I have had some in the cupboard for ages and was a little disappointed that the recipe only called for a teaspoon of it.

I also got to use some fine quality honey I’d picked up.

In my stand mixer bowl I combined coconut oil, honey, banana, vanilla, and egg. (I used a whole egg instead of two egg whites.)

I put the mixer to work.

I added the zucchini, applesauce, and yogurt. (I only had peach applesauce, so that’s what I used.)

I admit I wasn’t feeling great about this. The zucchini pieces looked too big to me, and it made the batter looked a little stringy as a result. As a zucchini-hater, it was disconcerting. I added some of the flour mixture.

Once the flour had disappeared — and not a moment afterwards — I removed the bowl from the stand mixer and added the chocolate chips. I opted for the minis.

I folded them in.

I scooped the batter into muffin cups and sprinkled some turbinado sugar across the top. Unfortunately that didn’t improve their appearance. They looked a bit like those neural parasites that stuck to Spock’s back and made him all crazy.

Right? I guess it would have bothered him a lot less if it was zucchini muffin batter stuck to him instead of an alien parasite, plus he could have just eaten it.

I baked, and baked, and baked.  I started at 15 minutes and incrementally added 15 more! I assume it was the extra banana that made them take so long to cook all the way through. They smelled good.

They didn’t puff up much, though.

Sometimes I just get flat muffins. I should probably look into what I do differently when they puff up. Puffy or no, they still looked promising. I let them cool on the rack for a bit.

I brought these into work the next day, and word spread quickly. Rumors traveled and muffin-eaters arrived. They came back for seconds, they sent friends. I ran out early in the day. I brought in the rest the next day and they all disappeared by noon.

My personal take on these is that the texture isn’t fluffy enough, and the chocolate is the dominant flavor anyway. I just didn’t love them. But everyone else raved and I’ve been asked multiple times to make them again, so what do I know? I’m just the baker who thinks that muffin batter looks like aliens from Star Trek.

SKINNY ZUCCHINI BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS RECIPE (original)

My version of Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (adapted from Ambitious Kitchen)

ingredients:

2/3 + 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup toasted wheat germ
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 small ripe bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon melted coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 egg
1 cup shredded zucchini
2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup low fat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees, you will reduce the temperature later. Line or spray a 12-cup muffin tin.

Squeeze the excess moisture out of the zucchini, and separately, mash the bananas.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine mashed bananas, oil, honey, vanilla, and egg, then beat on low to medium speed until smooth.

Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the chocolate chips.

Scoop batter into muffin cups and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

Reduce oven temperature to 375 and bake for 15-30 minutes, depending on how many bananas you used. Let them sit in the pan for another few minutes, then move to a wire rack

Call your friends and give them muffins. They will be very grateful.